It feels a little weird writing a Tourist Tuesday about London as I spent nearly two years doing that while I lived there. However, two weeks ago I was in London visiting my friends, I had a blast, and I wanted to share the highlights. If you’re interested in past posts about London, you can find them all here. Today’s post has some tourist highlights, some new adventures, and some mundane vacation fun. Strap in, it’s a bit of a long and rambling post. Enjoy!

I started the week off bridesmaids dress shopping with my best friend Sarah. I’ve been a bridesmaid on the other side of the ocean before, and it’s always a bit of a bummer that I can’t be very involved. But, I got lucky, and Sarah and I found the bridesmaid dress! I tried it on, we took pictures, we hugged, we squealed like silly girls. It was such fun and it meant a lot to me that I got to help. ”

We also did some goofy shopping too. The two of us went to H&M and tried on the craziest clothes available, and I tried (and eventually bought) a lipstick called “Lady Balls.” The cherry on top of this glorious day was sitting outside of a cafe drinking rosé and eating hummus and pita. It felt glamorous and fancy to be one of those women who is dining out luxuriously on a weekday. See Sarah’s pinky up? We’re so fancy.

The next day I was on my own a bit so I went to the Science Museum to catch up with some old pals. I was surprised by how many people I actually still knew. I was lucky enough to catch my grand-mentor Carlos, who was celebrating his 20-year anniversary at the museum. While I was there, I also wanted to check out Wonderlab, the new interactive gallery that replaced Launchpad (where I used to work). I thought a lot of it was nice, but I didn’t take any pictures. Mainly I had fun playing and chatting with people I knew.

After the museum, I went to the O2 to see Star Wars Identities, where they had awesome props like Han Solo in carbonite!! I also got to make my own Star Wars character and that was awesome too. If you’re in London before September 3, and you’re a Star Wars nerd like me, then you should totally go!

The best part was at the end of the day, SMAC, my girl crew, was finally reunited. Sarah, Charlotte, Abbie and I met for a picnic in Hyde Park. We sat on a blanket outside of Kensington Palace and had beer and snacks as the sun set. The weather was warm, the conversation was easy, and the company was perfect. It was one of those simple, yet immaculate summer moments, where everything is exactly right. The kind of wonderful moments that I have to remember during cold, gray winter months.

On Sunday, we went to a cricket match – Surrey vs Somerset at the Oval! My friend Anna, from DC, had arrived and Charlotte’s boyfriend Felix came too. Felix was integral as he told me everything that was going on. It felt weird to me that cricket is played in the center of the field, but overall I liked it. We saw a Twenty20 match, which is shorter than standard cricket, so not days long and no break for tea. This kind of cricket means 20 overs per team, and an over is six bowls – and I know what all of that means!

Surrey was the home team, and they won, but barely. So there was lots of excitement to be had. What was unusual is British people clap for both sides. That meant, as Somerset started to catch up, Anna and I were a bit confused. Why all this clapping from Surrey fants? Felix said you can appreciate good athleticism while wanting your team to win. Fair enough.

Anna and also I did do some proper touring. We went to Hampton Court, which was Henry VIII’s palace. I’ve written about it twice before, once when I made eggs in a hole and again when I went to the BBC Good Food festival.  I love this place. It’s gorgeous, full of history, and it feels like being in the country while only being an hour outside of London. My favorite thing during this visit was watching the interpreter roast meat in a huge fireplace. Sarah, who has been to training sessions at Hampton Court, said that staff can sometimes take that meat home! That is an awesome work perk.

That night, all the ladies went out for a fancy dinner to celebrate my birthday (which was back in June). We went to Le Meridien, which is a restaurant in a lovely hotel off of Picadilly Circus. The restaurant was beautiful, with a terrace and a curved glass ceiling. The five of us dressed up and had a three-course meal with bubbly and wine. At the beginning of the meal, the waiter was very together and professional, but somehow as the meal went on, he got more and more nervous. He spilled some wine, he kept coming back to confirm what we ordered, and he seemed generally a bit awkward. It was so unexpected, and therefore it was sort of endearing.

For food, I had a starter of seafood that included a scallop (yes!), fish for dinner (hake), and a key lime pie with elderflower cream (yum!). I love elderflower in everything and immediately back in DC I bought myself a big bottle of elderflower cordial. It was yet another night with my friends, and yet another wonderful evening.

True to my style, most of the rest of the trip was a mix of touring and eating. Sarah, Anna and I went to Camden Market (which I wrote about before too). There had been a fire there two days before, but we didn’t see any signs of it. I went to the market specifically to buy gin from Half Hitch, a small batch distillery. I am not so good with drinking liquor, but this gin is so good I would even drink it straight. In addition to the usual botanicals, Half Hitch also uses black tea. It adds a nice mellow flavor. I bought two bottles to ferry home for me and Ryan.

The three of us also ate halloumi fries from Oli Babas and doughnuts from Crosstown. Since neither Anna nor Sarah had been to Camden Market before I showed them the horse stables, piles of antique suitcases, and the always memorable Cyber Dog.

A little less fun, but totally worth mentioning (because I am crazy about it) is that we also went to Sainsbury’s to buy beauty products. I fell in love with Sarah’s face wash and so bought myself some. Anna did too.  The brand, Dirty Works, has turned into an obsession for me and Anna. Dirty Works is not sold widely here, but Anna’s been able to find it at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. The face wash is so good, it’s creamy but not heavy and smells amazing. Go get it. You won’t be sorry.

On our last day, Anna and I toured the Globe. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see a show, but while we were in the theatre we did get to see rehearsal! It was so cool, even though we couldn’t take pictures. Anna said, the only bad part was that she was so mesmerized by the actors that she didn’t look around enough.

After, we met up with the rest of the girls and had lunch at Borough Market. I got a pie from Pie Minister, which doesn’t look like much, but is truly delicious. What more do you need than a flaky crust, tender beef, and rich saucy filling? Not a whole lot.

For dessert, I had a super rich and gooey brownie from somewhere else. I don’t remember the name of the vendor, but it was so good. Just go to the market and try them all. We then went to a nearby bar and I got a drink with St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur. The bar had a two for one drinks special, so what was I supposed to do? Not get two?! Obviously not.

For dinner was Wagamama, which I know isn’t a big deal in London but is a big deal to me. I love Wagamama. Does it exist in the US? I need to know. It’s fast casual, not too expensive, and I can get some delicious spicy ramen – yes, please. Also they have some good choices for vegetarians, and vegans like Charlotte, so that’s a plus too.

The night ended with us walking across the Thames, taking photos in the dark, and ending at one final pub. It was such a beautiful night, with some of my most favorite people. I always get a little upset saying goodbye, but I left feeling so content. They are wonderful friends and we were together, full of yummy food, laughing, talking, and feeling so happy. Out with them, I loved London just a little bit more.

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Two Tourist Tuesdays in a row?! I know, it’s crazy. But I can’t help myself. A few weeks ago I got to go to Infinity Mirrors with some friends from work and it was awesome. I had to share it before it leaves the Hirshhorn on May 14th. So get excited my friend, this is a photo heavy post.

I was certain I wasn’t going to see this exhibit. Two of my friends went day-of and told me the lines were crazy long. One week, Brannah and I tried to get tickets. They were gone in one minute. ONE MINUTE! But then the next week, Brannah got lucky. She got four tickets and chose to bring me and our coworkers, Amanda and Ashley. 

We had tickets for late on Wednesday and only had to wait a few minutes in the ticket holders line. Once inside, we were giddy. The artist who created these rooms is Yayoi Kusama. She’s Japanese and became famous in the 1960’s. She is known for her dot motifs, nets, soft sculptures, and of course – the infinity mirrors.

The first room we went in was called Phalli’s Field. It’s also the first on Kusama created back in 1965. Kusama tried to create the infinity effect on her own by sewing each individual “tuber.” Fatigue set in and the use of “infinity” mirrors let her create the effect in a less physically taxing way.

In each room, we had 30 seconds, which for this first room felt like enough to me.  The line for this room was also the shortest.

Some of the lines for other rooms were much longer. But it wasn’t just the rooms. In between rooms, there was information about the artist, works in other media, other immersive pieces like the one in the photo above. This one is called Love Forever. It has two peepholes so you can peer in, see yourself, and see the other person who might be looking in. The lights change color. Some colors were really beautiful. Some, in my opinion, had a bit of a boardwalk fair vibe.

Most of the rooms allowed for just 2-3 people at a time, so we had to split up. Above, Brannah and I are in a room called The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. The lights are supposed to remind the viewer of stars in the sky. It’s meant to be a quiet place for contemplation.

While I see that, the desire to connect with the natural, looking at the photo now it reminds me of looking over a busy city at night. All the buildings, the activity, the people out there – it’s immersive and far away all at the same time.

In between rooms, there was other art by Kusama. All of it pretty bright and interesting. And fun to look at while waiting in line.

Overall, I didn’t mind the lines. Some of them were super long, but I enjoyed the time to talk with my friends about what we saw. It was also less stressful than some lines because we knew people were being moved in and out. Because remember, 30 seconds per room only.

I’ve thought about the 30 seconds thing. There were rooms where I wanted to spend more time. I wanted time to look at everything, watch the lights change color or brightness, and just enjoy the space. I also wanted time to take photos of the art, the details, my friends, and of course a selfie too. It’s hard to get all that done in 30 seconds.

However, I appreciate that it’s the policy. Keeps people from being selfish, and thereby making the lines really long.  I like it also because it made me spend time with the art I liked less. Phalli’s Field and All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins (where you can’t take photos), 30 seconds felt just fine. It felt like plenty of time to take it all in.

In grad school, I remember reading something about how people look at art for about 15-30 seconds. I remember thinking, oh that’s so quick! While that does seem short, how long should we be looking? What is enough time? While I was totally guilty of being selfie and Instagram focused, I also loved the art and enjoyed talking about it to my friends. Maybe then that’s it. If you look at it, enjoy it, take something away from it – maybe time doesn’t matter so much.

The room above is called Love Transformed into Dots. It’s the biggest room so the four of us all go into together. I liked it too because you could wander a bit more, instead of stay on a single runway. Also how great is Amanda’s happy face behind me in the photo above?!

My favorite room was Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity. The photo at the top of this post was also from this room and photo credit goes to Brannah. I loved this exhibit because I was immersed in the art. We were physically surrounded by it all. I love art that makes me want to touch it and be a part of it. This room did that.

It was the darkest. The lights flickered gently. The floor, the seams in the mirror, all seemed to melt away. That was a room I’d get back in line to see again.

Ok, so actually the last room is the biggest. Before entering we got a sheet of colorful dot stickers. Inside, we joined the dozens of other people and helped decorated the white room. We were warned the stickers were part of the art and could not leave the room.

The four of us split the stickers and explored the room. The room is basically a nice first floor of a house, with a kitchen, sitting area, bookshelves, and a piano. People layered stickers, made them pour out of cups, and took selfies. There was a working piano, which people played, while others sat on the couch and talked. It was a fun, really social way to end the exhibition.

I loved it. From start to finish we were there for about 2 hours, which I think is often plenty for a museum visit. There was so much to enjoy too – the colors, the lights, and most of all, I loved getting to be in the art. I had a blast with my friends, and so lucky I got to go. For me, Infinity Mirrors was worth they hype.

As the same time, I get why this might not be for everyone. Lines, and hype, and 30 second changes can be a barrier. But again, adored it. So if you’re curious and have the time, I highly recommend it. Try for walk-up tickets here in DC before the 14th. Otherwise, Infinity Mirrors is traveling, so maybe it’s coming to a city near you!

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For the last couple of weeks, my friends from London have been in town. It has been amazing! Museums, monuments, restaurants, shopping – we’ve done it all. After an amazing time in DC, a few of us (Charlotte, Abbie, Felix, Ryan and me) took a trip to Philadelphia, PA.

I was looking forward to it because I’d get to be a tourist too. In fact, this trip was so good, and so jam-packed with activities, that I just had to bring Tourist Tuesday out of retirement. Since I wasn’t expecting a reprise of Tourist Tuesday, all photos were taken on phones. They’re not the greatest color and quality. But I’m sure you can power through because this trip was really fun. 

We arrived late on Friday night and after dropping our stuff at the rental place we went for a cheesesteak at Jim’s Steaks. South Street was busy, and so was Jim’s. We joined the line and were soon hit with the smell of onions. Behind the counter, a guy was chopping onion, after onion, after onion. He slid the finished onions into a hip-height trashcan, and then kept chopping. All of our eyes were watering. And well… so was my mouth. I ordered a cheesesteak with whiz and onions. We took our food back to the apartment and had a really great late night snack (though could’ve used more cheese). Then to bed, Saturday was going to be a big day of touring.

In the morning we walked over to the Italian Market and had breakfast at a Gleaner’s Cafe. Coffee was good, the women who worked there were incredibly kind, and my friend Charlotte discovered that pb&j on a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel is super delicious. So far, food in Philadelphia was winning.

After breakfast, we walked around the market. I was impressed with the enormous wall mural dedicated cheese. I want that in my future house. That’s barely a joke. I’d love that.

We were also impressed with the lush variety of fruit and hugely affordable prices. $5 for a box of mangoes?! That’s incredible. And I’ve never seen papayas so big. It made us all want to cook.

While I was constantly salivating over the pasta, produce, and meats in this neighborhood, the highlight was actually Molly’s Books and Records. My friends were intrigued by the records. I was in love with the cookbook section. My favorite was one called “Early English Recipes,” which was written in Old English. I really loved the spelling, small drawings, and variety of recipes listed side by side. I left without a cookbook but did purchase a button of a woman looking blasé as she baked a cake. Felix left with a record. I think we all could have spent more time in that shop.

Next, the Liberty Bell. I knew beforehand that the Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom, but I didn’t really know much else about it. I enjoyed the small exhibits leading up to it which demonstrated its history, importance, and preservation. My favorite part though was a sign that discouraged people from touching the Liberty Bell. [Side note, I thought, “how could anyone touch it? It must be blocked off.” It’s not, it’s just got a rope around it. I thought that accessibility was cool. ]

Anyway, I digress. The sign said, and this is a quote, “If you have the urge to touch Liberty, reach out and feel this actual casting…” Charlotte and I had a good giggle over the use of the word urge. As if the National Park Service is saying, “we get it you have desires, and you should control them, but if you can’t, here is an outlet.” Needless to say, we touched Liberty.

After the Liberty Bell, we thought we had some time before our 1pm tickets to Independence Hall. We wandered over to Penn’s Landing where we stumbled across a Science Festival and checked out the water and some boats. Then we trekked back to Independence Hall. It’s at this point I finally ready my confirmation email fully. It said we needed to pick up tickets 45 minutes before our entry time otherwise they’d be released to the public. Oops.

Ryan and I did some speed walking to the visitor’s center and thankfully they still had our tickets. But, the woman behind the desk said maybe we wouldn’t make it. We had less than 10 minutes to get across the green, across the street, into the entrance, and into the group of 1pm entry.

So we ran to meet Abbie, Charlotte, and Felix. We ran across the street. And we ran to the wrong side, which was the exit, and then we ran to another exit. Finally, we found the entrance and panting and sweating, they let us in for the 1pm entry. The ranger took pity on us and told us where to stand to get the best AC breezes, which helped a lot. Thank you kindly, Park Ranger!

On the tour, we saw two rooms (in low season, visitors also get to go upstairs) and were led by a Park Ranger. He had a slow measured delivery that clearly showed his passion for the subject. Similar to most visitors, my favorite room was the one where America’s Founding Fathers would have debated and decided on our founding documents. I love being in places that witnessed history. I like imagining that people I’ve learned so much about actually sat, worked, and talked in this room. We’d also been to the National Archives in DC earlier that week to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – so we enjoyed coming full circle on that.

After the tour, we were ravenous so we went to Reading Terminal Market for lunch. I always want everything I see from spices, to produce, to chocolates. On the walk over, I said I wanted a sandwich as big as my head. Ryan and I found it at the Original Turkey. I had an enormous sandwich with turkey, stuffing, bacon, and cranberry sauce. Ryan had something that looked like a turkey cheesesteak. Charlotte, Felix, and Abbie went elsewhere and came back with amazing looking chili dogs. For dessert, Ryan went to Flying Monkey and got us whoopie pies to share. They went so fast that I forgot to take a picture!

Fed and happy, we decided to walk over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art so we could see the Rocky statue and walk the steps. Something I loved about Philadelphia is that there was art everywhere.

I really liked this plaza filled with oversized game pieces. As well, this fountain with spitting turtles was adorable. The weather was in the high 80’s, so I was especially jealous of the kids frolicking in the water.

We never made it to the steps because the NFL Draft was blocking our way. There was definitely a way to walk around and/or through, but we never found it. Instead, we walked through the festival.

I took a photo with the Baltimore Ravens helmet. We got free Skittles, refilled our water bottles, and sat under a tree and people watched. In the end, we were tired and ready for a treat and a rest.

Abbie had been lusting after a big ice cream so we went to Big Gay Ice Cream. It did not disappoint! Everyone had something good, but I think Abbie and I had the most impressive order. We went with the Salty Pimp. It’s vanilla ice cream in a cone, with dark chocolate covered pretzels, and a chocolate dip. It was decadent and perfect.

We went back to the rental for much-needed naps, showers, and rest. After that, we went to Brauhaus Schmitz for drinks and snacks. The highlight though was Abbie and Charlotte taught me how to play darts.

Officially I mean. I know that in darts you throw the dart at the board, but I had no idea about scoring or anything. I had some good shots, but I lost by quite a bit. We decided we’d rematch next time I was in London.

After a quick trip to Whole Foods for some dinner, we called it a day. According to my Fitbit pedometer, we walked 28,122 steps for a total of 11.62 miles. Needless to say, all of us slept soundly that night.

Sunday was more low-key. Abbie, Charlotte, and I went to Magic Gardens. The $10 entry fee made us a little bit nervous, but the money was well spent because we loved it. Loved it.

Created by artist Isaiah Zagar it’s an outdoor installation with indoor exhibits as well. The best way I can describe it is that it’s an immersive mosaic made using tiles, plates, bottles, mirrors, folk art statutes, and found objects.

My photos and my words cannot do justice to what I saw with my eyes. Every corner has something interesting to see. Some objects are beautiful as they are. Some are better because they come together to make a figure or a phrase. I liked finding surprising things, like the tile with a sign language message saying “art is strange.”

I also liked the bathroom, where every surface was covered. But my favorite was the toilet saying “R. Mutt,” a nice reference to Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain.

Although I loved the small individual tiles best, there were also some really impressive large mosaics that took over the sides of walls and buildings. It was so cool, and I left wanting to know more about his process. How much is planned? How much is randomly generated as he went?

The best thing I learned though, was that Zagar started this space while he was renting it. Later, the community helped him purchase the space. But before that, it was a pretty bold thing to do!

To end our trip, we took a leisurely walk back to the bus station. We sat at The Porch, next to the train station and rocked in oversized porch swings. We chatted about trip highlights and all the fun things we saw in Philadelphia. The iconic “love” sculpture was gone for restoration this trip, so we made due with this cute XOXO sculpture. Finally, time for the bus ride back to DC, our busy and awesome weekend complete.

This trip was a blast and left me wanting more. I’m hoping next time to eat more cheesesteaks and visit the new Museum of the American Revolution. Anything else I should add for a future Philly trip? Share it in the comments!

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A few weeks ago my parents were in London visiting me and Ryan. We did a ton of touristy stuff. We went to Borough Market, the British Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. We went out to eat, went to the cinema, and hung out. We also did some things I’d never done before like visit Oxford. My parents had been there before but through Ryan and I would love it. There’s lots of stuff to do there but let me tell you about a few highlights. Spoiler: they are mainly Harry Potter and museum related. 

First, we went to the Great Hall at Christ Church College at Oxford University. Whew, that’s a mouthful and I’m not sure I even have the name correctly.This gorgeous hall was the inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Also, the stairway outside the hall was used in the first Harry Potter movie when the students were received by Professor McGonagall. The space is lovely and I think it is pretty cool that students still use it for meals. The room is dark and wood paneled with high vaulted ceilings and lots of portraits on the wall. The sheer number of portraits on the wall reminded me of the corridors in Harry Potter. My favorite portraits in the hall were of Henry VIII and William Penn.

Outside the hall is a door with the graffiti “no peel” written in nails hammered into the wooden door. This graffiti dates from the 17th century. There are lots of myths about the motives behind the graffiti, but the real reason is that it was done in protest of the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. Apparently it was because it was about his changing views on religious reformation. Mostly I like that they kept graffiti around for so long. Nowadays that stuff would get cleaned up pretty quickly I bet.

Generally though the buildings and land around Oxford are beautiful and ornate. It’s a nice place, and I’m sure as a student it must feel awesome to be a part of a long and illustrious history. However, I felt like it was sort of quiet insular place and didn’t have the excitement and bustle that I like about college campuses. But still, I think the opportunity to use and live in a space so beautiful and historic would be awesome. So often places that look like Oxford used to be used but are now just for looking at. I think it’s sort of refreshing that here the places are still active and alive.

After the Great Hall we went to the Cathedral. Again there was some beautiful architecture. The ceiling was pretty cool. It looked like a snowflake or an interlocking web of arches and ribs. What I enjoyed best was the stained glass. You can see an image of one large window in the bottom left picture below. You can also see my parents in the foreground looking at a tomb.

In that window above at the very top is a beautiful stained glass ship. I liked that a lot because it’s an unusual thing to see in a church window. In the photo below is another interesting window showing the beheading of Thomas Becket (center of photo). According to another blog about this window, I found out that Becket doesn’t have a face because Henry VIII found it too graphic. Apparently a plain piece of glass was used to censor it a bit.

After visiting these two places in Christ Church we walked around Oxford a bit more and then found our way over to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. I love natural history museums because I think they have such wow factor. It’s so amazing to see things I’m familiar with but never seen up close. I also like getting to see things I’ve never known about before. Also, I love seeing dinosaurs because they are just awesome.

There was a big exhibit on insects which my family loved but which gave me a bit of the heebie-jeebies. I got a little nervous by seeing the big hairy tarantulas. One of the things I loved the most was the scale model of the earth moon and sun. In the photo on the left, below, you can see my parents all the way across the museum waving. My father is the one on the right and you can kind of see a golden ball in front of him. This represents the sun and it was about the size of a basketball. Now, the photo below on the right was all the way across the room from my parents (so where I was standing when taking their picture). And this model shows the size of the Earth and Moon. So they are to scale in both size and distance relative to the sun. I knew the sun was big and far away but holy moly! We are tiny and peanut sized and I loved seeing it.

I also love natural history museums for the animals. We saw a gigantic taxidermied crab. I’m not sure crabs can be taxidermied, but it was a crab formerly alive but now in a case. It was gigantic, and about as big as me! I also love seeing animal skeletons. I liked seeing how they are similar, how they are different, and also how bodies can be unexpected. For example they had an elephant skeleton and it’s so crazy to see an elephant without a trunk.

Also inside the museum is the Pitt Rivers Museum. I love this museum because it is so quirky and full of fascinating objects. Accessed through the Natural History Museum the Pitt Rivers Museum was founded in 1884 by Lieutenant General Augustus Pitt Rivers who donated his collection to Oxford. It’s such a traditional cabinet of curiosity style of exhibit display which is fun any unusual today. Meaning, instead of displaying just a few things in a minimalist and orderly fashioned, a cabinet of curiosities has lots of things packed closely together. I enjoyed that style. I liked walking into the room and seeing it jammed full of objects. It’s like being in a museum while simultaneously being in an antique shop. You just never know what you’ll find.

The objects in the museum are arranged thematically rather than chronologically which I think is delightful and sometimes a bit random. So there are cases about religious objects, about musical instruments, and cases about writing. I saw a totem pole, a shrunken head, and a pipe. As I walked around it was fun, and surprising, to turn around and be face to face with all kinds of objects. I loved the small gorgeously handwritten object labels. And I loved the surprising collection of objects. The photo above in the bottom left is an ivory ball of many layers all carved from one piece of ivory. Amazing right?

Overall, I had a lovely day out with my family in Oxford. There are a number of things to see and it’s a nice place to stroll around and stop at the places that catch your fancy. I loved seeing the history at the University, I was charmed by the Harry Potter connections, and I really had fun at the Natural History Museum. It’s just a quick train ride outside of London so I recommend considering it if you want to get out of the city for the day!

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Over the weekend Ryan and I went to Zurich to visit family. Ryan’s twin brother Aaron, his wife Katy, and their 1-year-old son Boden moved there a little over a month ago and we were excited to see them, explore the city a bit, and eat some cheese.

It was a whirlwind of a trip. We left super early on Saturday. So early in fact, that I was able to snap a lovely photo of the sunrise. And then we returned to London on Sunday evening. All in all, a fast weekend in Zurich however I’ve got 5 things about the trip I want to share with you. Four of those things you too can do in Zurich, and all of them are kid friendly. Here we go.

1. Go on a walking tour of Free Walk Zurich

Free Walk Zurich offers a number of walking tours around the city each with different content. You meet the guide at a designated spot, walk and learn for about 90 minutes, and then tip your guide (if you want to) what you think is fair. So, if can be free but tipping is a nice thing to do.

I think we did the Downtown Zurich Tour. There were about 25 people on the tour and we walked up and down the lovely cobbled streets of Zurich. We saw the Fraumünster Church, which has some gorgeous frescoes. We also saw many fountains. The guide told us that there are over 1200 fountains and all of them give out clean drinkable water. Awesome right? I’ll admit, I wasn’t always so good at listening during the tour because the city is really beautiful. The trees were bright autumn colors, the water is gorgeous, and the building architecture was fun to look at.

What I really love about walking tours is that they make me look up. It’s easy to walk around a city and focus on where you’re going without looking at the details around you. On so many buildings there were beautiful statues, faces and animals carved into tiny ornamental flourishes, and lovely paintings like those you see below. The painting on the left is a painting of the old city of Zurich. The one on the right is of the three patrons of Zurich. Apparently two of the patrons, Felix and Regula are often remembered and depicted but the third one, Exuperantius is usually forgotten. Poor Exuperantius.

Now, Aaron and Katy might have a more informed opinion about whether or not this was a kid friendly activity – but I would say it was pretty good. There were some stairs during the tour but only one long staircase and a nice guy from the tour offered to help Aaron carry their stroller. The other participants were mainly young 20-30 something adults and all seemed to smile nicely at Boden (I thought). No one seemed too concerned with serious contemplative focus – I mean we were out in a noisy city for goodness sake, so a little baby noise wasn’t going to be bothersome.  Also we were outside so it was easy to walk apart a bit if need. Most importantly look how cute Boden is? Who could possibly mind him? 

Afterward we got delicious sausages from a nearby street vendor. Then Katy and I ditched the boys and wandered around, looked a flea market, bought cheese, and enjoyed the view of the boats on the lake. All in all pretty great. I recommend it.

2. Eat delicious Raclette

I was really excited about going to Switzerland so I could eat some delicious cheese. The only cheese dish I knew about was fondue, but wonderfully Aaron and Katy introduced me to something new – a different cheesy Swiss dish. They served us delicious, warm, and comforting raclette.

Raclette is a semi-firm cheese that’s used for melting. The machine above is also called Raclette. It’s awesome. Here’s how it works. You put a slice of the cheese into the tiny pans. Top the cheese with onions and bacon and then put it in the bottom layer of the apparatus. Leave it there until the cheese is bubbling all over and is temptingly gooey looking. The top shelf is like a grill and we used it for sausages and vegetables.

Once the cheese is melted and bubbling take your pan out of the machine and quickly pour the cheese over a boiled potato. Then you eat and repeat. Better yet, get another slice of cheese melting while you’re working on your first potato. Then you can have non-stop cheesy goodness. We had four different kinds of cheese: regular, garlic, chili paprika, and pepper. All tasty, a little bit stinky, and so satisfyingly good. This meal was hearty and filling without being too heavy. Also clean up was super easy. A really great dish and if you’re in Zurich find a restaurant, or a local, who will serve you this dish!

3. Take a cable car from Adilswil to Felsenegg Lookout

On Sunday we decided to take in some views and do some walking. We went over to Adilswil and took the cable car to the Felsenegg Lookout.

Ok, let me be honest. Before we could do any walking we needed caffeine. We sat in the restaurant right at the top and had the creamiest cappuccinos I’ve ever tasted. Finally ready to go, we hit the trails. There were a number of different walking paths of varying difficulties. We choose a 3km one with little incline. Katy had done it before so we knew we’d be able to make it with the stroller. There were one or two small, yet tiring, hills but the five of us made it.

This walk was my favorite thing we did in Zurich. We got lucky to be there while the trees were bright with autumn colors. Everything was gorgeous. Honestly though, I found this short walk breathtakingly beautiful. I totally recommend doing this. It’s a perfect half day activity. 

We walked up and down the hills and slowly the fog burned off and the sun came out. It was so amazing to be in a place so scenic only a short trip (about 20 minutes) outside the city. In addition to gorgeous countryside, we saw cows, charming Swiss homes, barns, and a mound of decorative gourds. I love a good knobbly decorative gourd. It really shouts autumn to me.

Mostly, I liked being outside and having the opportunity to just chat with my family. During the holidays I think we can get caught up with doing something and being busy. I like getting the chance to just relax and talk. It was perfection. When they come to London I’ll have to find some outdoor walking for us to do. (Any suggestions anyone?)

4. Have brunch at Fork & Bottle

Aaron and Katy had been to the Fork & Bottle lots of times before, but never for brunch. It has a large outdoor seating area with a playground so it’s perfect for families. Also, Katy said there is a playground inside too. The outdoor area is lovely. There are big gnarled trees in the center of the outdoor space which are beautiful and a little bit spooky. The tables are long picnic tables arranged in rows. Just outside the restaurant was a pen with tiny horses and mules (I think, but maybe they were donkeys?) 

Boden played nicely with the toys in the play area while we ate our meals and took in the sun. Seriously, I think Ryan and I may even have gotten a little color. As for the food, it was really yummy with fairly generous portions (by European standards, I know American breakfast burritos are as big as newborn babies). I had the breakfast burrito which was protein packed! It was filled with eggs, beans, and chorizo and topped with guacamole and salsa.

But the best part was the hot chocolate which was topped with a fluffy pillow of a marshmallow. That was the best part. It made me want to try to make giant marshmallows at home. I also really enjoyed the long shadows cast by the sun in the photo above.

5. Play with your cute nephew Boden. Oh wait, this one is just for me. 

Ok, so this is the part that you the blog reader can’t do. But, who doesn’t love photos of cute babies? Hopefully you don’t mind me being a proud and gushy aunt. The last time I saw Boden was last Christmas when they were still living in Colorado. Then he was a tiny wiggly peanut. Now he is a boy with a personality. He is smiley, shy at first then very warm, and he is so active. So active. 

This boy can crawl fast. Really fast. He’s everywhere and always getting into a new activity. He is curious, playful, and likes to look out the window. He played peak-a-boo with me in my scarf. He giggled at Ryan when Ryan pretended to be the tickle monster. And he let us cuddle up to him as we read him a bed time story. 

It was nice to spend time with him (and Aaron and Katy too – I feel a little bad I didn’t take any pictures of them). It was nice to get to feel like a real aunt and be a part of his life. I can’t wait to see him again. I think he might feel the same. Look how excited he is in that photo above!

Anyway, to end this post let me say that Zurich is a small city with beautiful architecture, scenery and food. There’s lots more to do there than what I did, but I think this list could you set you up for a nice weekend away. I for one look forward to going back.

The post Tourist Tuesday: Weekend in Zurich appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

I’m so excited about this post because this hike was the best thing my friend Anna and I did while in Iceland. Before we left for our trip, Anna was doing some research and read about the Midnight Mountain Bath Hike tour with Iceland Activities from a blog (whose name we can’t remember and for that I’m sorry). Iceland Activities is a family run company that offers small group tours around Hveragerði, which is about 40 minutes outside of Reykjavik. The price for the tour is 17900 ISK which hurt our wallets, but decided to take the plunge because we liked the idea of an intimate experience where we’d get to see some natural beauty off the beaten path. It was totally and completely worth it. Let me tell you more.

Anna and I were picked up from our hotel in the early evening by our guide Úlfar (whose name means wolves!). We were driven back to their offices to get our packed meals and any other gear we might have needed. Anna and I were super bundled up wearing three layers of socks, pants, and shirts plus hats, gloves, coats, and scarves. But Úlfar offered us more stuff if we needed it and we felt proud when he said we were well prepared. He was so kind though, that I bet if we had rolled in wearing shorts and a t-shirt he would have politely recommended that we borrow more layers from him. If ever you go on an Icelandic Activities tour you won’t have to fear, they will have everything you need like boots, and towels, and waterproof clothing in case you can’t bring it yourself.

All packed up and ready, we were off. For the hike, it was just me, Anna, and Úlfar. We were absolutely pleased that it would be such a small group because it meant that we could hike and do everything at our own pace. Even better, Úlfar asked us if we had any time constraints. We didn’t and neither did he, so he said we could spend as much time doing things as we wanted. This is something I loved about this experience, we were never rushed and got to take in things how we liked.

Úlfar drove us up the mountain to the point where we would start our hike. Throughout the whole hike, Úlfar told us about the history of place as well as his stories about hiking, biking, and driving around the area. He told us about snow so tall you have to abandon your car. He told us about thousands of years ago glaciers melting away and leaving behind hard dense rocks. He told us about lava and the green moss that covered it. And he told us about Hveragerði.

What I loved about Úlfar is that he was so proud of his home and so connected to it. When he talked about geological transformations they didn’t seem like arcane facts that happened long ago, but events that are familiar and understandable parts of life. In my own life I don’t feel connected to the land around me, and it was so clear that he does. He grew up hiking and biking in these mountains and bathing in these pools and it’s clear he loves them and is a part of them.

However it was interesting because there’s a tension there. A tension between wanting to share this beautiful land with people through Iceland Activities – while simultaneously not wanting to have it overrun with crowds of visitors (brought by other companies). Úlfar also wasn’t a fan of the new paths, bathing platforms, and small bridge over the water. He wants the land to remain mainly wild and as it is. He made Anna and I jump across the river instead of “cheating” and using the bridge. It was incredible to learn about the area and I think it was a real honor that Anna and I got to see Iceland a little bit through his eyes.

Anna and I are not regular hikers so were a little worried about the difficult of the trail. Although the path was a little narrow in places, overall it’s a comfortable walk down to the hot springs and we did just fine. Just be sure to watch out for rocks so you don’t turn your ankle! As we walked we could see steam rising from all over. Úlfar told us some scary stories about people having the ground fall out from under them and then getting third degree burns from mud. That gave us a healthy respect for watching where we walked.

But don’t worry, it wasn’t a scary experience at all. There were lots of cool things to see! Anna and I walked through some big steam clouds that warmed us up immediately. We took photos of bubbling water and gurgling blue-green mud. Where the mud was cool enough Úlfar scooped some out and we put it on our faces. He assured us that now we would be young where the mud had touched. Awesome, now I will always have a young nose.

Using the steam from one crater, Anna was able to cook six eggs! The three of us sat down to a lovely snack of cheese, Icelandic rye bread, and Anna’s steam cooked eggs. It was delicious – and also one of those unique experiences we were hoping to get while in Iceland.

As we walked Úlfar told us about elves and trolls. Trolls are apparently very strong and can sometimes take human form. The only way you could tell if a human was a troll in disguise was if that human had crazy strength. As the stories go, trolls don’t really like humans and would try to kill them but then elves could give people rings that would help keep them safe. While we were out on the trail we didn’t see any life elves or trolls, but we did see a frozen troll. If trolls are out in the sunlight, they will turn to stone. We saw this one in the photo below during our hike.

We also saw a waterfall, which is the water source for the area where we would later get into the water. Anna and I touched the water and it was really cold. Over the course of the hike as we walked to the hot spring Úlfar showed us where the water was cold, where it was boiling hot, and where the two mixed to create a safe temperature.

We reached the hot spring as it started to get dark. Anna and I came with our bathing suits already on, so we quickly undressed (it was cold!), grabbed our packed lunches, and got in the water as quickly as we could. Once we were in it was glorious. I think we both said, “we live here now.” Immediately it felt perfectly warm and we only needed to be part way in the water to feel comfortable. And then for the next three hours we laid and sat in the water. We ate our snacks, drank some water, and just hung out.

But mostly, we looked up at the sky. The sky was filled with stars. I have lived in cities for far too long because I hardly ever see stars like that. The sky was so clear we could easily pick out the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. We saw shooting stars. And we saw the Northern Lights. It was a beautiful evening.

And literally, we did stay in the water for three hours. Sometimes the three of us chatted, sometimes we just stared at the sky. It was the kind of relaxation I never let myself have at home. At home I feel that I should be doing something. There, I just let myself absorb it all. I know I’ve said it already, but it was an incredible experience. The world felt so big, and beautiful, and special and I felt lucky to have the chance to stop and appreciate it. I loved that we could be so close to civilization and yet feel separated from it all. I loved that it had been so green during the day and then so dark at night. I loved that Anna and I got to do everything we wanted to do in Iceland (see the Northern Lights, bathe in a hot spring, experience nature, eat Icelandic food, and have a unique experience) all in one hike.

Finally we dragged ourselves out of the water and started to hike back. We had headlamps, but didn’t use them that often so we could continue to see the stars and the Northern Lights. When the sky was looking particularly beautiful we’d stop, sit on the ground, and look. At one point we did get to see the Northern Lights dance, just like I’d seen so many times in videos before. It was awesome to see it in person.

When we got back to the hotel we made Úlfar take a selfie with us. Anna and I stayed up even late gushing about how wonderful the tour was. We said we could go home happy having just done that. We promised each other we’d come back when she’s 50 (and I’m 53) and do it again. (During the tour Úlfar had said by that time his baby nephew would be doing the tours.) I high recommend this tour and Iceland Activities. In fact, I can’t recommend it enough. It was personal, fun, informative, and special. Really, truly special. They also have other hiking and biking tours too. Please check them out if you’re planning a trip to Iceland!

Thanks also to Úlfar and Anna for taking some of the photos I’m using in this post.

The post Tourist Tuesday: Midnight Hike with Iceland Activities appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Tourist… Thursday? Ok, I know I’m late posting, again. And yes, I’ve had content for both recipe posts and Tourist Tuesdays and haven’t posted, but the truth is I’ve been having too much fun out in the world that I haven’t wanted to come in and write. But, I’m here now and today we have a big post with lots of pictures all about my recent trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. Get your coffee or tea and settle in. It’s a long one today in part because I’m so excited about this place and in part because I don’t like to edit down.  

I went to Reykjavik for about 4 days with my friend Anna. She and I used to work together at Ford’s Theatre, and although I don’t remember how we transitioned from coworkers to friends I’m so glad we did. With most people you can’t be super gushy but with Anna it’s easy to say what you think, what you feel, and hug and be smushy and not feel weird when you tell her she’s the greatest. Anyway, she is the greatest because she planned practically our whole fantastic trip.

We stayed at the Leifur Eiriksson Hotel which is the white building just right of center in the foreground of the photo above. The hotel is named for Leif Eiriksson who discovered American well before Christopher Columbus. The place was cozy, included breakfast, is centrally located so it was easy to walk everywhere, and is sat right outside the massive Hallgrimskirkja – a church which has a Leif Eiriksson sculpture outside it.

The church is very modern. Construction started in 1954 and was finished in 1986. The church stands massively over the skyline of Reykjavik, even though the observatory underneath the bell tower is just on the 8th floor. The inside is fairly minimalist with plain glass windows letting in the daylight and simple modern paintings decorating the altar and walls. Anyone can wander inside the church and for a small fee you and can take the lift up to the top of the church and look out over the city. It’s immensely beautiful and lovely to see just how colorful Reykjavik actually is. However, be careful if you go up when the bells chime. Anna and I were up there at quarter past the hour and the sounds of the bells was near deafening.

We did spend a lot of time wandering around Reykjavik just to get a feel for the city. We spent a bit of time exploring Harpa, the concert hall (above). The building is right along the water and its walls are made of 3D glass geometric shapes that look like crystals and at night they light up with purple lights.

We went inside to see the glass up close. Inside was gorgeous, especially as the setting sun shone through. I felt like if you were inside a beehive made of prisms. I’m not sure if that sounds nice, but it’s what I thought of. I also loved the statue outside of Erling Blöndal Bengtsson with the mountains and pink sky in the background.

While in Iceland, I also learned a bit about Icelandic Folklore. We learned that people believed (and believe) in trolls, elves, and at Christmastime the Yule Lads. Anna and I saw these trolls outside of a souvenir shop, but we also think we saw some trolls frozen into rocks when we went hiking. I was especially taken with the Yule Lads and bought a Christmas tea towel with a picture of them on it. In Iceland, instead of Santa the thirteen Yule Lads leave presents in the shoes of Icelandic children in the nights leading up to Christmas. But seriously, I encourage you to consider reading more about them because their mom is supposed to be kind of evil and they have a feral cat and it’s all very interesting.

During our first full day, Anna and I visited the National Museum of Iceland. On the walk there we passed a beautiful lake and saw ducks swimming and other people trying to feed swans while getting dangerously close.

In the museum we learned a bit about Icelandic heritage. We learned the first settlers in Iceland were Norwegian. We learned that Iceland became Christian a little over a thousand years ago – but in the transition there was a mix of pagan and Christian iconography. The sculpture in the top right above is a depiction of Thor, but also with some Christian symbols.

Other objects I was taken with were those having to do with vikings, drinking horns, and also the loom. Iceland sweaters are popular with tourists and locals alike and I enjoyed the loom with big thick threads and heavy volcanic rocks weighing down the yarn. Of course, I also made Anna play in the “hands-on” children’s gallery, which is where I got the fun opportunity to dress like a viking.

After the museum we found a park with a playground and went climbing on this red rope structure. The two of us decided to try to hang by our knees like children. We could do it, but it didn’t fill us with the same sense of freedom it did when we were kids. Instead if made us a little nervous. But the climbing part was really fun. I really enjoy the photo of Anna below. It looks like it should be in a catalog. What it’s selling I don’t know, but I think it could be used to sell something.

In addition to touring the city, Anna and I also made time to get out and see some natural beauty. We booked the Golden Circle & Fontana Wellness Center Tour with Reykjavik Excursions. With this tour we got to see some beautiful outdoor sights and we got to relax in geothermal baths. Awesome right?! First though let me tell you, it rained horribly throughout this whole day and my camera got wet. Therefore the photos are spotty. I prefer that you choose to see these photos with a “romantic glow” instead of categorizing them with the more low-brow term of “blurry.” Ok, are you in the right mindset? Good. Now you can keep scrolling.

I do want to tell you that Anna and I were the dumb tourists who initially missed our bus to the tour and were a little bit late and held everyone up. We felt bad about it and we were only 7 minutes late – but since both of us work in tourist industries we thought we’d use this experience to help better empathize and be kind to visitors to our respective workplaces. The first thing we saw on the tour was geysers! Above is Geysir. The name comes from the Icelandic word meaning “to gush” and it’s how we name all other geysers. This geyser is actually the first geyser to have been recorded in writing. It doesn’t erupt very frequently anymore, but is still impressive in size.

However, nearby is Strokkur (below) which is smaller but erupts every few minutes. The first time we saw it go off Anna and I were quietly chatting nearby. It went off and I yelped and Anna took a few steps back. The water didn’t come anywhere near us, but it’s worth it to be cautious. There are signs everywhere saying the water is between 80-100°C (176-212°F) and the water can go up to 15-20 meters (50-65 feet) high!After the geysers, we were taken to see Gullfoss – a waterfall located in a canyon of the river Hvítá. The waterfall is huge and plunges downward in what looks two steps of a staircase.

The sound of the rushing water is intense and the mist sprays everywhere. It is an incredible place and so vast. Look at how tiny the people are in the photo above. Iceland in general, and places like this specifically, made continuously remember how incredible nature is and that it’s nice and daunting to be such a tiny part of it. Also, did you noticed that all of my winter clothes are the brightest colors?! Anna was never going to lose me in a crowd with all those colors.

After Gullfoss we went to relax at the Fontana Wellness Center. Anna and I made what some might consider a controversial decision – we chose not to visit the Blue Lagoon. It’s expensive, crowded, and far away. We thought between Fontana and another tour (which I’ll tell you about in next week’s Tourist Tuesday) that we’d get the experience of natural beauty plus relaxation. We totally did get everything we wanted and I have no regrets at all.

I couldn’t take any pictures while actually in the water, but I’ll tell you about it. Fontana has a number of different baths of varying temperature. Let me just say upfront, even though some of the baths felt like being in a pool, all the water comes from natural hot springs. One pool just felt like a shallow but very warm public pool – although the fanciest pool I’d ever been to. Another was slightly warmer and deeper, good for swimming, and Anna and I played some games trying to see who could push themselves off the wall and travel furthest across the pool. One was designed to look outdoorsy, it was unfiltered, and had large rocks to sit on. There was also a hot tub that was at 38°C/100°F. That felt glorious. At first it was like pins and needles but then it felt decadent. It was even better because once we left the hot tub the cold 4°C/40°F Icelandic air didn’t feel bad at all. We also were brave and ran in to the freezing lake (Anna to her knees and me to my calves). It was frigid mainly, but it was amazing that in some spots you could put one foot in warm water and one foot in freezing water.

We lounged in the water a lot. It was ridiculously relaxing. Also at Fontana, we got to eat some traditional Icelandic Rye bread. Nowadays baked usually in an oven, this bread is traditionally made using the heat of the ground! It’s buried in the ground, which is at about 100°C/212°F and it’s left there for 24 hours to bake the bread. While we were there we watched Linda bury new bread, unearth yesterday’s bread, and then she cut it for all of us to try. It was hearty yet sweet. Naturally I got the recipe and will be trying it out for myself soon.

The last stop on this tour was to Thingvellir, which is where you can see the crest of the Mid-Atlantic ridge. This is the only part of the mountain range where it’s above water. It’s space that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. It’s amazing. Honestly, it’s one of the most astounding things I’ve ever seen in my whole life. All those things I learned in school about the earth moving and changing can be seen here. I can literally stand in a place where the earth is splitting. It was incredible.

Also, in case you’re interested, sometimes Game of Thrones films here. But, this place was amazing not only because of what it is, but also because of the way it looks. The autumn colors were like a post card. I know it’s hard to see in my dark and rainy photos, but believe me it was patchwork of warm colors. The tour guide said he thought it would all be gone in a week and then it would be truly winter.

I loved this place also for the mixture of hard and soft together. The rocks are hard and craggy and almost scary and angry looking. But then the flowers and trees creep in and over them and it becomes somehow gentler. Living in a city I get so separated from the outdoors and nature. I liked seeing nature at work. For example, the photo directly above is of a lava rock. I really love the grooves. It looks like a fingerprint.

Finally, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t tell you about all the food that we ate. Coffee houses are popular in Reykjavik so we were sure to partake. We started with one called Mokka where we had cappuccinos and crispy waffles with jam and whipped cream. The whipped cream was hardly sweet but so fluffy and airy that I had to have a few spoonful straight even after I’d finished the waffle. We also loved the quirky atmosphere of Babalu where I had hot chocolate with sprinkles and the sugariest lemon crepe ever.

Iceland is also known for its hot dog stands and I love hot dogs. Anna and I did a two-stop hot dog tour. The hot dogs are a mix of meats but always include lamb. We stopped at the first stand and got one hot dog with the works – which includes a sweet mustard, onions, and fried onions. It was delicious and on a toasted bun. As we ate it we walked over to the better known Bæjarins Beztu, which has been in continuous operation since the 1950’s. Apparently even Bill Clinton has eaten here. It was delicious there too, but I was a little pouty since I spilled mustard down the front of my coat. Anna and I then went into a long conversation analyzing the hot dogs and we decided the first stand was our favorite because of the bun. For the life of me I cannot find the name of that place, and so I apologize if you’re ever in Reykjavik. But for the record, you can’t go wrong with either. 

I do wish we had just half a day more so we could have gone on a whale and puffin boat tour. Unfortunately, we weren’t organized enough so instead on the last day we wandered the docks to look at the water. While we were there we decided to have lunch at Kaffivagninn. We had a creamy soup, artic char, and this lovely view of the water and the top of Hallgrimskirkja. I definitely recommend this restaurant if you’re by the water.

On our last day, we were also determined to do two things. First, we went to Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool. After we went to Fontana, we couldn’t get enough of lounging in warm water. I highly recommend doing this as it might be one of the cheapest options available. For 650 ISK, which is £3.38 or $5.24 you get access to a big heated pool plus a few “hot pots” and a geothermal pool. The highlights were the large twisty water slide (which we rode twice) and the 44°C/111°F hot pot. We were practically boiling but it was great.

And the second thing we did was have a big fancy meal with lots of seafood. After browsing some menus we went to Apotek. Anna and I had cocktails and a six course meal which left us nearly comatose and definitely food-drunk. I had a strawberry sriracha margarita – which while not spicy had a little heat and was less sickly sweet than an regular margarita. Anna had a cocktail with dill and gin, which was so refreshing. And then both of us had a shot of Brennivín, an Icelandic snaps (schnapps). The name translates to English as “burning wine,” but it wasn’t really that bad.

For dinner we had a bite of puffin, which we were nervous about but tried. It was dark in color and had the texture of a really meaty fish. It was generally nice, salty, and unexpected – but we felt one small bite was enough. After that we had perch, seared tuna (which was served on a brick of pink salt!), trout, plaice, and then a rack of lamb. For dessert an incredibly silky chocolate rose. Our expectation was that with a six course meal every course would be fairly small. We were wrong. Every dish was about 75% of the size of a regular entree. We had so much food and by the time we had the lamb (which was tender, perfectly cooked, and in a great sauce) we were stuffed. It was an indulgent end to a perfectly indulgent few days. We waddled back to the hotel to pack and chat into the wee hours.

Iceland is truly lovely. A place so beautiful, interesting, and connected to nature. I felt inspired, adventurous, and relaxed. We did a lot and it was everything a vacation should be. However, I’ve saved the best thing for next week. Next week’s Tourist Tuesday is all about a tour Anna and I took with Iceland Activities. Here’s a teaser: there was a hike, a geothermal bath, and the Norther Lights. Come back again next week, it’s worth it.

The post Tourist Tuesday: Reykjavik, Iceland appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Ok, so I know I’m posting this on a Wednesday not a Tuesday, but I have my reasons. Or excuses… I was jet lagged, I had to work, and then I left my phone at work so I was missing some pictures. Anyway, better late than never right? Today’s post is a different kind of Tourist Tuesday anyway. It’s not really about Baltimore, it’s about being back in my home town and attending my friend Emily’s wedding in Baltimore. Emily got married to Matt, whom she met in business school.

And I gotta tell you, I was so excited for this trip. Sure it was going to be a short trip, but I was dying to see my childhood friends Lisa, Emily (bride), Emily (not the bride), Rachel, and Kelly. I love them! I’ve known them for over twenty years and when we get together it’s always a blast and always feels like a home coming. 

Last Thursday my friend Lisa and her husband Mike picked me up at the airport and took me to get some dinner. We decided on fast food in part because it was late and in part so I could re-immerse myself into American culture. They took me to Arundel Mills, which is a gigantic mall with a casino and many fast food places all in a row. They took me to Wendy’s for a frosty (it’s like a milk shake) and then to Chik-fil-A for waffle fries. My brother Eric recently moved back to Maryland so he stopped by Lisa and Mike’s and we all sat around and talked for awhile.

On Friday, Lisa and I started our bridesmaid duties. We were in charge of getting materials to make flower crowns for the photo booth at the wedding. Our day started at Michael’s, which is a huge store that has everything for crafting and home decor. It’s the kind of store where you go and buy the things you need, then also things you think are cute, things that remind you of something you saw on Pinterest, and things that make you think, “yeah I could start a hobby in knitting/woodworking/whatever.”

I wandered around a lot, but only got off task a little bit. I bought some autumn leaves sprinkles and a small Thanksgiving ramekin. Mainly, Lisa and I had an absolute blast picking out fake flowers and greenery for the crowns – and best of all practically everything was 60% off. The next day the bridesmaids – and even the bride too – made flower crowns as we got ready and I’m really proud of how well they came out (and lasted over the whole night). In the picture above you can see Lisa making photo crowns and then a photo from the photo booth of me and my girls (from left to right, Kelly, Emily, Emily, Me, Lisa, Rachel, and Emily’s husband Jim’s hands) all wearing the crowns. I think we did a fine job. The photo booth photos were done by Poseybooth.

After shopping we met up with our friend Rachel for lunch at Nando’s. Nando’s is big here in London but I had never been before! So yummy! Then the three of us went to get our nails done at Bliss in Odenton. It’s a gorgeous nail salon off the beaten path. At first, I felt like the quality of the manicure wasn’t very good (Rachel and I both got cut and bled) but the nail polish has lasted nearly a week with just one chip (and I ate crabs, but more on that later).

Preparation done, it was time to finally drive to Baltimore for the rehearsal and dinner. I didn’t take many pictures during the early part of my trip, and now I wish I had. But the reason I didn’t take any pictures was because those places are part of the fabric of my upbringing. They are the places I know so well I can picture them better than any photograph. After the wedding we slept in Lisa’s parents basement, a place where I’ve spent many sleepovers before. The after party was by the Baltimore Harbor, a place where I’ve spent countless birthdays, New Year’s Eves, and celebrations. And the wedding itself was at Emily’s house a place where I spent many summer days swimming in the pool.

As Lisa and I drove all over the Baltimore area on 83 and 695 – roads I’ve been on hundred of times before it all felt comfortable and familiar. I know the landmarks, the lush trees surrounding the roads, and the spot on 695 where the radio never works. In high school I’ve probably driven on those roads with my friends talking about tests, college application and boys. This time Lisa and I talked about greying hair, saving for a house, and politics. The conversation has changed, but it felt exactly the same as it always had.

The rehearsal was at Emily’s house and then after we went to dinner at Sammy’s Trattoria. Matt’s (the groom) mother made us name tag buttons that said our names and how we were connected to the bride and groom. There was so much food! I started with apple cider sangria, then there were appetizers, then there were two kinds of pasta, salmon, chicken, and two kinds of dessert. Also, in talking to two other girls over dinner I learned that they were both in love with a chocolate chip cookie recipe from Jacques Torres that I’m going to need to try. After dinner we went for drinks at the James Joyce Pub, which is my parent’s favorite place to get a burger.

Saturday was all about the wedding.  We spent the day make flower crowns and getting pretty (that’s Emily in the photo above getting her make up done). We bridesmaids got to choose our own dresses as long as they were blush colored and flowy. I was impressed with how closely our dresses matched. Emily wore her mother’s gown which has been altered  for modern use (not more sleeves or turtle neck). It was such a lovely dress. I got my hair done in a side ponytail with just natural looking make up.

I was especially in love with the flowers! The wedding was filled with them. I also love bouquets with lots of texture and thought the fuzzy branch things were amazing. Emily’s bouquet was even more impressive with peonies, succulents, and rosemary.

As the guests started to arrive we spied on everything through the windows of the house. It was fun to see everyone’s outfits, see friends I hadn’t seen in awhile, and see the beautiful set up. Below are some shots taken by Mike. Below is Kelly and Dan – and I love this picture of him laughing. Kelly is my oldest friend and she befriended me on the first day of second grade when I was crying. There’s also a photo of Greg (Rachel’s boyfriend), Rachel, Mike, and Matt (the matron of honor’s husband). Everyone was looking pretty.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was a fairly religious ceremony but it had advice for everyone. He talked about loving each other, not putting everything on the other person, and to also give love to others. Mostly though, I loved watching the radiant happiness on Emily’s face. Just look at her as she walks in and out of the ceremony!! The pictures are blurry but her facial express is perfection.

My favorite part of any wedding though is the reception. I love good food and I love dancing They had two signature cocktails, incredibly delicious food (it was the first time I ever liked kale), and a great band called Spectrum. Also they had flip flops on the dance floor, which I totally used when my heels got painful.

But again, back to Emily. I love this photo (below), although blurry, of her and Matt getting ready to enter the tent. She hiked up her dress and the two of them literally bounded in. They then did their first dance and they are painfully, adorably cute and in love. Their first song was “All of Me,” which is usually done by John Legend and Emily sang it! And it was a surprise to everyone. She has always been an incredibly singer and she had secretly recorded the song and had it played for their dance. It was so beautiful and I’d love to hear it again.Overall it was a great party. The music was awesome, I got a minor shout out in the father of the bride’s toast for having traveled the farthest, and my friends and I had a blast in the photo booth. Below is a photo of our entire crew (girls+partners) minus Ryan and Matt. Love that photo, except for that Rachel’s face is blocked out of the E+M stamp.

Sunday was my last day in the US and Lisa and Mike made sure I got to do some things I’ve been missing. They took me to Target where I literally skipped through the store. It is such a fun place to browse! I went home with 5 different kinds of m&m’s, Sour Patch Kids, Tootsie Rolls, and two kinds of Oreos. I also saw crazy things like a Joe Flacco doll, a Chewbacca doll, sodas that spell NFL, and a cheeseburger pinata. God Bless America right?! This stuff is awesome!

Then Lisa and Mike did the best thing ever and they got two dozen crabs and some pumpkin beer for lunch. Picking crabs is my favorite thing to do over the summer. I love sitting around chatting with my friends. I love the burn on my lips from Old Bay. I love how messy it is. And I’m so glad I got to squeeze it in. It was too fast, but it was a perfect weekend. Repeatedly I felt so lucky to have such good old friends, that they have found such nice partners, and that no matter the time or the distance between us we can get back together and have a blast. Being with them is like wearing your favorite sweater: it feels comfortable and make you happy. I can’t wait until we’re reunited again.

* Thanks to Mike, and I think Dan, for the photos taken while I was doing my bridesmaid duties. Poseybooth took all the photo booth pictures (the ones with the E+M). They were super cool and emailed us the link to the photos immediately!

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Today Ryan and I are celebrating our third wedding anniversary! YAY! But the real celebration happened over the weekend when we went to Oslo, Norway.

A while ago we had taken the days off for a long weekend, but we hadn’t planned on what to do or where to go. After lots of brainstorming, we decided to go on Skyscanner and choose a cheap option. We decided on Oslo in part because we spent only £65 for two round trip flights. The other reasons we chose Oslo is because we wanted to see some Viking ships, but more on that later. The thing though about cheap flights is you have to go through secondary airports which are always farther away, and so add a little more time and expensive to the trip. But really, it’s not a bad thing. The original cheap fare got us to visit a place we hadn’t ever considered before.

Ryan and I left on a Friday. We took the Stansted Express from Tottenham Hale and then took RyanAir to Oslo Torp. From Torp airport we took the Torp Ekspressen Bus. That bus from Torp was more expensive than our flight, which was sort of painful but necessary as Torp is about 90 minutes away from the city center. Also, that bus schedule corresponds with Ryan Air flights so it’s super easy to take.

But while we’re talking money, let’s get it out there. Norway is expensive. For our London frame of minds it wasn’t too terrible, but it is expensive. The Norwegian currency is called a Krone (NOK) and £1 equals slightly more than 12.5 NOK. So, for reference I bought a lemon Fanta for 36 NOK, which equals about £2.88 – so expensive but not completely awful. Although convert that to US dollars and it will hurt your brain a bit. Don’t despair though! If you’re thinking of visiting Norway throughout this post I will give you some recommendations on low cost options. Ryan and I were able to have most meals at under 500 KOR for the two of us and we ate pretty well. Also, if you’re planning on doing intense site seeing check out the Oslo Pass which gives free entry to museums and public transportation as well as discounts on many other things. Ryan and I chose not to do that as the things we wanted to do added up to less than the cost of the pass – but check it out it’s a pretty good option.

We were staying with Bjørvika Apartments in the eastern part of the city near the Opera House. This area of town is clearly a business district full of new beautifully designed construction. We had fun just wandering between the buildings looking at the design, the art, the sculptures, and the plants. Our visit proper tourist visit was to the Oslo Opera House, which is a really cool building and free to visit. The slope of the building rolls right into – or alternatively bursts right out of – the water. And then people can walk all the way up the slope of the buildings front, which then winds around to the roof. In short, you can walk up the Opera House and stand on the roof. It’s gorgeous. You can see the water, you can see the city, and you can see the sunset. It’s a unique building with lovely views into different elements of the city.

After that we walked into central Oslo and wandered on Karl Johans Gate, which is the main commercial street. There are lots of restaurants and shops and if you continue far enough down you’ll get a great view of the Royal Palace (photo below). Walking around this street was a great way to get an introductory sense of the city. We saw people eating outside, we saw people shopping, and we saw people just sitting and relaxing in nearby parks. Oslo is very walkable and not very big. As we wandered around we saw some people who had been on our flight! But we immediately liked the city. It was busy but not too full, clean, and charming to look at. That first night we had dinner at Wurst, where we had beers and sausages loaded with toppings all for about 450 NOK.

Saturday was a rainy day so we decided to be low key and simply wander the city and visit the National Gallery. Before the museum we toured the Norwegian gifts sections of GlasMagasinet Stortorvet, a high end department store. We saw troll figurines, beautifully carved wood decorations for kitchens, cheese slicers (the Norwegians invented a particular cheese slicer – it’s the bottom right photo below), and lots of cozy looking sweaters. I was especially taken with some wooden pigs and the felt and leather slippers. I had never seen felt so thick and dense before! With those slippers my feet would never get cold!After that we went to the museum. Entry is just 50 NOK regularly and it is free on Sunday. You also get to use a locker for free so that’s awesome too. The museum is just one floor, which is wonderful because then I never felt stressed about missing anything. It’s also the most efficiently informative and organized museum I’ve ever visited. The artwork is arranged chronologically and each time period is given a color which you can see on the walls of the gallery. Labels for each room were just two paragraphs and about 10-12 sentences total. Enough text so I get an idea about the stylistic period and it’s specific tie to Norway, but not so much that I get tired of reading it.

And each room had the right amount of paintings that I felt I could look at everything and take it all in. I wasn’t getting inundated with paintings of old men or Madonna and child. It was the right amount to get an idea but not feel overwhelmed. I really loved the one gallery that lets visitors get involved. Inside this room was a big sculpture with tables, paper, and pencils. Visitors could sketch and then hang their art on the wall. How awesome is that?! It was cool to see the variety of skill and styles in these visitor drawings. I also think it’s cool that visitors have the chance to hang their art in a museum.

But the biggest draw for this museum is Edvard Munch’s Scream. Did you know there are four versions? One in this museum, two across down in Oslo at the Munch Museum, and one was sold by Sotheby’s to a private collector. Although all the same content, the color and materials used were different between the four. There were other Munch paintings in the museum as well, but the Scream is the one I knew the best. It’s haunting and beautiful all at once.

After we went to Kaffistova to eat and tried reindeer cakes with potatoes (175 NOK for each of us). It was rich and filling and tasted like the most nourishing and delicious meatloaf I ever had. Kaffistova had a cafeteria vibe to it. You order at a register, they serve you, then you sit and relax in the dining area. The staff was nice and the clientele was a mix of tourists and old Norwegian men hanging out. After we wandered around Oslo a bit more. We walked by City Hall, admired the Akershus Fortress, stumbled upon a dockside flea market, and enjoyed watching the boats pass by. I found Oslo a fun place for wandering.

Sunday the weather was glorious so we set off for a more ambitious day of site seeing. We walked back towards City Hall and took the ferry to the Bygdøy a peninsula on the western side of Oslo. The ferry is 35 NOK one way (which we did) and 55 NOK round trip. Buy your tickets at the little kiosk next to the boat. Tickets are more expensive on the boat. You can also take a bus there, but why do that when you can enjoy wonderful sea breezes and views?  Bydgøy is home to a number of museums and we chose to visit the Viking Ship museum and the Folk Museum.

We started at the Viking Ship Museum (80 NOK for adults). The museum has four ships, most of which are in really great condition. They are burial ships so there were also other objects aboard the boat. We were able to see cloth, objects for food preparation, sleds, and other ornately carved wooden objects. It sort of reminded me of objects from Egyptian tombs because the objects are all the things a person might need to function in the afterlife. I also enjoyed that in addition to showing objects the museum talked about how they conserve the objects.

Some objects are deteriorating because of methods that used to be state of the art, but now are no longer used. I liked that the museum discussed the dilemma of how to preserve and whether or not current methods will really last. The museum also talked a lot about the people who were buried on the ships and who they might have been, and what could be told about them from their bones. It’s amazing you can tell about diet and ailments from bones! Overall so interesting.

After that we walked over to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. We had lunch at the museum’s cafe because there wasn’t a ton of dining options in the area. Ryan and I were fully prepared for it to be super expensive, but it wasn’t at all. Very affordable (mains under 150 NOK) and the café itself is brightly lit and decorated with wild flowers and light colored wood furniture. It was a nice place to eat. Ryan had a salmon and shrimp sandwich and I had a salmon and vegetable pie. So yummy.

The museum is an open air museum showing Norwegian life from 1500 to the present. It costs 120 NOK to enter, but it’s worth it for a big site. I found the museum really enjoyable and also a bit all over the place. There are log cabins with roofs made of bark and peat and there is also a 1920’s gas station. They aren’t next to each other, but it’s all there and it’s pretty easy to wander between time periods. I loved the wooden buildings best though. The wood is dark and ornately carved. They were the physical embodiment of how I picture cottages in fairy tales.

Throughout the place there are costumed interpreters and educators ready to talk about the buildings, how things were used, and how things were made. We saw children being taught how to card wool and make yarn. Ryan and I also tried some traditional pancakes made with “soured milk.” They were hot off the griddles, slathered with raspberry jam, and very delicious.

Also, we saw pigs. I love pigs so I was very excited. I took about 20 pictures of the pigs rolling in the mud, snorting around, and pestering the mother pig for a suckle.

The real reason we went to this museum was because I wanted to see Stave Church (photo below). It’s originally from Gol and was moved to Oslo to preserve it when the Gol was going to tear it down to build a new church. It’s a medieval wooden church and it gets its name from the structural design of the building. Using the rings on the wood, the church is dated to 1212. There aren’t that many of these churches left, and apparently most of them are from Norway. It’s a cool structure and visitors can even go inside.

After this museum, Ryan and I went for a bit of a hike up to Frogner Park to see the Vigeland installation. Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland created over 200 sculptures of people and they are a permanent part of the park. Here’s the path I recommend to take it all in. Walk in the main gate, which has ornately designed gates. Keep walking straight and go over the bridge. On the bridge there are sculptures of people in what my guide book called “all stages of life.” There are babies having tantrums, people fighting, old people, people in love.

Don’t forget to look over the bridge and look at the birds fluttering about on the water. Keep going until you come up to the fountain which has more sculptures of people lifting up a giant bowl. The water crashes and flies all over and looked especially beautiful in the sun. Just beyond you can see the big monolith.  Hike the stairs and check out this big sculpture. It’s made of 121 people struggling to get to the top. Take your pictures, then sit on the steps and look over the park and where you’ve come from.

We relaxed in the park for a bit before taking a giant walk back to Oslo. Seriously it was over an hour we walked. However, I recommend it. We got to a bit more of the neighborhoods and shops during this epic trek than we would have if we’d taken the bus or the metro. We ended the trip with a dinner at an Italian restaurant. Ok, not very authentic but I like pizza. Deal with it. Monday we took the long trek back to London.

It was a wonderful long weekend beautiful sites, interesting museums, and good food. It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary too. There’s nothing better I like better than exploring a new city with Ryan. It’s always nice to relax and spend lots of time together. I highly recommend this place!

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Ryan is the weather reporter in our household. In the morning he shares the weather report so we know how to dress and also how busy the museum will be. This week it’s going to be rain, lots of rain, until Thursday. (Which also means a busy museum)

But last week we had one glorious beautiful day. Ryan did the weather report Friday morning and said it was going to be 30°C/86°F on Saturday. He then suggested, “let’s go to Brighton.” Yesss. It rarely gets into the 30’s in London, let alone gets that warm on a day when neither of us has to work, we don’t have any plans, and we have the ability to just pick up and go somewhere. Also, we have been aching to go the beach all summer. It’s a staple of summer and it was imperative we get out feet into some water before autumn rolls around. 

We left early Saturday morning and took the Thameslink from St. Pancras to Brighton. Our tickets combined were about £40 round trip and the ride is about an hour and a half each way. Easy peasy. Once we arrived we immediately hit the beach. We spread out our beach towel and soaked up the sun. The beach is a pebble beach which can sometimes make walking difficult/painful but laying down on it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. You can also rent deck chairs from £2 each and sun bather chairs from £4, so both affordable options.

My favorite thing about going to the beach might be the breeze from the sea. It’s cool freshness makes me feel alive, happy and rejuvenated. I think I am happiest by the water. It erases all the stress and frustration from city life. Being by the ocean reminds me of family vacations, birthday and bachelorette celebrations, and traveling. I was feeling happy in Brighton. Happy simply sitting there people watching and enjoying the perfect weather.

But of course, we had to go in the water at least a bit. Ryan and I hobbled our way to the waters edge to splash our feet in the cold water. Hobbled is the best way to describe our descent to the beach because the slope is fairly steep given that the ground is made of wet rocks of varying sizes, some of which want to stab you in the foot (in both painful and ticklish ways). The water was chilly, but the kind of chilly that you can quickly get used to.

After a bit of playing on the beach it was time for lunch. Everything I read about Brighton says you have to eat fish and chips while you’re there. There are like a thousand fish and chip shops there ranging from dingy shacks, hole in the wall locations, and proper sit down restaurants. We had been interested in going to the Regency, but it was packed full of cyclists in yellow racing suits so we kept walking and chose Bankers. We both had cod and chips and it was tasty! The portions were generous, the fish was fresh and hearty, and the breading was perfectly crispy.

Next, it was time for some shopping. Brighton is a really fun place to go shopping. I was really taken with Bert’s Homestore which had all the cutest necessary and not-really-necessary-but-I-would-use-it items for home and kitchen. There were things like beautiful cake boxes, flower printed straws, and at-home coffee grinders. Currently I’m interested in fox patterns (random I know) and so I fell in love with all the fox stuff they had. There was a fox cuddly toy, a fox pattern on a white mixing bowl, and a fox lunch box (also a lot of other really cute lunch boxes). I let my willpower restrain me and I left fox-free and kitchen gadget free. 

We then moved on to more typical Brighton shopping areas: North Laine and the Lanes. North Laine was really cute, and I only have the photo above on the left to show for it. There are loads of cute cafes and lots of antique shops and flea markets. It has absolutely everything you could ever want and things you didn’t know you wanted. They had beautiful furniture, clothes, bicycles, and handbags. As to be expected, I wanted all kinds of antique kitchen things. If I had more space I would have gone for the heavy army-looking metal kettle or the tiny copper sauce pan or the tarnished but ornately engraved knife and fork sets. I even saw one girl buy an old hand-crank egg beater for £1. It was a shopper’s (and even window-shopper’s) paradise. The Lanes also has lots of lovely shops all around skinny winding streets. Go to Brighton willing to browse! There are such lovely things to see. 

In between shopping, there was snacking. We went to Roly’s fudge and saw staff mixing fudge in giant copper pots. Ryan and I tried the vanilla clotted cream and the banoffee pie flavors. I really liked the vanilla flavor but thought the banoffee pie tasted too strongly of fake banana flavor. The texture is also drier and crumblier than most fudge I’m used to, so be prepared for that if you decide to partake. We also go ice cream from Jolly Scoops for amazing ice cream. I had lemon curd and ginger cookie and Ryan had summer fruit sorbet. Both were incredible with whole ingredients and big flavor. We sat on the curb in the shade and people watched. Finally on the food front we stopped by Choccywoccydoodah to look at their incredible sweets. The cake decorations are like sculptures! Inside they had some pretty cool chocolate creations include a popcorn and chocolate lolly pop that was as big as my head. Our sweet tooth had already been sated though so we didn’t buy anything. 

After that we needed to walk off the calories. We went to see the Royal Pavilion (photos are well above this paragraph, next to the two images on the right of the North Laine picture). The building’s history if fairly old but it took on its current look in 1815 when Josh Nash was commissioned to turn a modest villa into the palace that it is today. Ryan and I sat in the pavilions’ park and watched the seagulls scavenger around people’s picnic. The day was hot and it was nice to rest a little bit more. 

Our last sight seeing trek was over to Brighton Pier and the Brighton Wheel. The pier was teaming with people (and also birds flying overhead) so we stayed away and just admired from afar. It reminded us of going to the boardwalk in New Jersey, which both of us did when we were kids (and also like 3 years ago). We felt a little homesick for our traditional beach vacations so we went back to the beach to take in just a bit more ocean and sea air. It was a beautiful day and also a easy, relaxing day trip from London. I highly recommend it – although next summer I think Ryan and I are resolved to get back to the Jersey Shore so we can have even more beach time.

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